This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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The market for web design is getting more crowded every day. And today's caller is looking for advice on how to make her business her service business, let's say stand out from the competition. We've got a lot of designers out there, with so many options available, with so much competition basically, how can you ensure that your business is the one that people choose? So welcome to Side Hustle School, my name's Chris Guillebeau. It's a tricky question because, if you've listened for a while, you know that I often encourage our side hustlers not to spend too much money on design and development, at least in the beginning.
But what if you're the designer or developer? That doesn't seem very helpful. Well, I promise it can all make sense, so stay tuned. That's what we're gonna dive into today in this brief action-packed episode, designed of course, to be helpful and perhaps inspiring to you. So stay tuned, 30 seconds, shout out to our sponsor, and then the detailed question.
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Hi there, my name is Rachel, and I'm calling from Dallas. I have a passion for mobile-first web design, and I believe there's a demand for my services. However, I'm aware that the world is crowded with similar businesses, and I'm not sure how I can stand out. Can you share some tips on how I can differentiate my business from the competition and attract customers in a crowded market? [Music]
Hey Rachel, thanks for the question.
I totally hear you. I'm glad we can talk about this because, you know, Rachel here has got a passion for mobile-first web design. She's looking to stand out in a crowded market. I do think mobile-first is really smart. If you don't know what that means, it's basically like approaching web design from the perspective of mobile users, as opposed to that being kind of an afterthought, you know, after you've made like the desktop version.
And, you know, it can be tough to differentiate yourself and attract customers because there's so many others offering similar services. So here's what you gotta do. I mean, it's really kind of basic, but it's so important. You're gonna have to niche down. You're gonna have to avoid trying to be everything to everyone.
In fact, you wanna be something very specific to a very specific market. If you want to charge higher prices, which is what I hope that you want to do at some point. Now, when I say people should not spend a lot on design, I'm talking about like for their first project or like for a new project that has no certainty or you're not even sure, you're just kind of experimenting. So you don't spend a lot of money and that's okay. But when you've got something you really believe in, and especially once it's had some proven results, then it is important to invest in good design.
So this is where good designers can be valued and, you know, can end up doing very well. I always think of this example we've had on the podcast a couple of times, the woman who is a designer for dog lovers, well more for like dog businesses. There's like so many businesses that are catering to dog lovers with all sorts of dog merchandise. And she is the web designer for those businesses. You know, really smart.
I mean, she makes a six figure income because she has found that specialization. So definitely look for that specialization. You also wanna showcase your skills, right? You know, you can use platforms like Dribble or Behance, your own website, like having a portfolio is gonna be pretty important to go from like junior designer to higher end designer. I think it's also good, this is my third tip here, like to build a personal brand, just, you know, sharing your story, talk about why you've chosen to like focus on that mobile first principle, and then how it connects to the audience that you've chosen to really target.
So there's no shortcut to this, it takes time, but it is kind of ultimately the best way to differentiate yourself and attract those customers. So I am cheering you on Rachel, good luck. And for all our designers out there and developers, like you're doing important work, if you're struggling in a crowded market, just know that your services are valued and a lot of people want your services. So you have to find a way to rise above just like everybody offering the lowest possible rates. And you do that through specialization.
So we could say more about it, but that's kind of what it comes down to. Good luck and listeners. If you've got a question, sidehustleschool.com/questions, tune in every day, new episode every day, it's all completely free. And I just so enjoy making this podcast for you, so thank you. And do something for yourself today.
Okay, that's all. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
